Back-stop for bowling-alleys.



H. F. COOK & C. C. HILDRETH. BACK STOP FOR BOWLING ALLEYS. APPLICATION FILED 00T. a1, 1912.

1,073,400, Patented sept. 16, 1913.

Aentr srarns raras einen.

HERBERT r. ooox AND CARL o. HILDRETH, or LAKE MrLLs, IOWA.

BACK-STOP FOR BOWLING-ALLEYS.

To all whom t may concern, i Y Be it known that we, HERBERT F., COOKv and CARL C. HILDRETH, citizens .of the United States, residing at Lake Mills, in the county of Winnebago and VState'of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Back-Stops for Bowling-Al.- leys; and we do hereby declare the followingto be full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same. A Y Our present invention has for its object to provide an improved back stop for bowling alleys, and to t such ends, generallystated, the invention consists. of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter de-` `the Vgeneral character disclosed and broadly claimed in our prior patent 976,738, of date November 22nd, 19,10. In the bowling apparatus of our said prior patent, targets were arranged to move transversely at the rear of the alley, and a back stop was placed at the rear of the said traveling targets. Also, the balls stopped by the back stop were delivered by a transverse trough to a forwardly inclined return chute or ball runway, so that the balls would be automatically returned to the front end of the alley.

In the accompanying drawings, our improved back stop is shown as incorporated in a bowling apparatus of the type just above indicated.

ln the drawings, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view showing the back stop in front elevation and showing certain associated parts in transverse vertical section; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line x2 m2 on Fig. l.

The bowling alley is indicated by the nu- Vmeral l; the numeral 2 indicates a deck or frame at the rear end of the alley having a depending rear flange or plate 3; and the numeral 4 indicates one of the traveling targets which is arranged to move transversely of the rear end of the alley, just in front of the deck 2, in position to be struck while traveling, by a ball rolled on the said alley.

The numeral 5 indicates laterally spaced `Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. i6, i913.

Application led October 31,V 1912. Serial No. 728,814.

upright bearing plates rigidly secured at their lower ends to the deck 2, and, as shown, provided with notchesior open seats 6 at their upper edges.

` The back stop `worksbetween the bearing plates 2. This improved stop is preferably made from a quite strong sheet of metal so bent that in cross section it'has approximately the form of a question mark. Otherwise, Ystated, the` metallic sheet 7 from which this back stop is formed, has a tubular or nearly cylindrical upper portion, and a depending back plate which extends below the rearportion of the deck 2 and is formed with a transversely inclined flange 8 that cooperates with the deck flange or plate 3 to afford a transversely inclined trough 9, the lower end of which is arranged to deliver1 .into `the ball return chute or runway l0.

The entireplate of this'back stop is preferably provided with a lining of felt or similar cushioning material 11 which serves to deaden the sound produced by a ball strik- Ying the back stop. At the ends of its upper portion, the back stop 7 is provided with trunnions l2 that are pivotally mounted in the seat 6 of the plates 5. These trunnions l2 are located forward of a. vertical line intersecting the center of gravity of the back stop, so that the lower portion of the back stop Ywill be gravity pressed toward the flange 3 of the deck 2. Forward movement of this lower portion of the back stop is limited by a small chain or flexible connection 13 attached thereto, and to a fixed bar or support 14, which latter serves as a stop to limit the rearward swinging movement of the lower end of the back stop.

The numeral 15 indicates a brace bar connecting opposite sides of the back stop 7 and located at one extreme end thereof.

Y The operation of this back stop is substantially as follows: The ball projected from the rear end of the alley l will pass over the deck 2 and strike the depending inclined rear wall of the back stop, preferably at an angle atabout forty-live degrees, and the said ball will be deflected upward and caused to follow the curved or approximately cylindrical body portion of the back stop. In this way, the momentum of the ball is gradually overcome without producing a. violent shock at any particular point on the back stop. The initial impact of the ball against the lower portion of the back stop is reduced to a minimum by pivotally or yieldingly mounting the back stop so that it may swing` on its pivot l2 when struck by the ball. lVhen the ball makes its complete turn or revolution within the cylindrical portion of the back stop, it will fall by gravity into the transversely inclined trough 9, by which it will be delivered to the return chute or runway 10. Preferably, the trunnion seats 6 are lined with soft rubber or other pliable and more or less elastic material, which will provide cushion journals in the trunnions l2. rlhe purpose of this is to reduce the noise produced by the impact of the ball against the baclrstop and to reduce to a. minimum the tremble or small vibration which is produced in the body of-the back stop. i 5

This improved back stop has been put into actual use and has been found highly etlicient for the purposes had in view. It has been found by the 'use thereof, not only is the noise produced by stopping of the ball,

Y reduced to a minimum, but the impact of the ball is so distributed and overcome that it willnot have serious bounding action on the back stop itself.

What we claim is:

l. rlhe combination with an alley, of a ,back stop at the rear thereof having a tubular body opening at its botto-m and having a depending rear portion which receives the initial impact and deects the ball into the said tubular portion.

3. The combination with an alley,rof a back stop at the rear thereof having a tubular body portion opening at its bottom and having a depending rear portion which receives the initial impact and deiiects the ball into the said tubular portion, the said Ydepending rearvportion of said stop having a4 ange that Vformsat least a part of a transversely inclined ball trough.

4. The combination with an alley, of av back stop at the rear thereof having a tubular body opening at its bottom and-hav-` ing a depending rear portion which receives the initial impact and deflects the ball into the'said tubular portion, and lwhich backA the initial impact and deflects the ball into"` the said tubular portions, and which back stopis pivot-ally supported at its upper portion and gravity-held in normal position;l a,

stop limiting the rearward swinging movement of the lower portion'of said back stop,V

and a connection between said stop and back stop for limiting the forward swinging movements of the lat-ter.

V'7. The combination with an alley, of back stop at the rear thereof having a tubular body opening at its bottom and hav- .ing a depending rear portion which receives the initial impact and deflects the ball into the said tubular portion, and which back` stop is yieldingly held in normal position, and a stop limiting the rearward movement of said back stop. Y

In testimony whereof we afX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT F. oooK. CARL o. HILDRRTH.

Witnesses:

J. B. CONLRY, JOHN SMALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C. 

